Bengals will not franchise tag Trey Hendrickson

This year, Trey Hendrickson will be able to move on from the Bengals.

According to multiple reports, Cincinnati will not use the franchise tag on Hendrickson before the Tuesday afternoon deadline.

Hendrickson, 31, went through a long negotiation over his contract with the team last offseason, which resulted in Hendrickson getting a raise just before the season. But he did not have any more years added to his deal.

Due to injury, Hendrickson was able to play just seven games in 2025, recording 4.0 sacks with three tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits.

In 2024, Hendrickson made his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, having recorded a league-leading 17.5 sacks with 19 tackles for loss, and a career-high 36 quarterback hits.

Hendrickson joined the Bengals in 2021 after spending his first four seasons with New Orleans. But at this point, it appears Hendrickson will be headed elsewhere for 2026 after five years with the club.

In 117 career games with 88 starts, Hendrickson has recorded 81.0 sacks with 74 tackles for loss and 163 quarterback hits.